Some services on CCC cut, others to stay on

Drivers got a better idea Tuesday afternoon of what services will be affected by no tolls being collected on the Crescent City Connection.

State transportation leaders appeared before the Regional Planning Commission Tuesday. After the vote to extend the tolls for another 20 years was nullified, the RPC became the advisory board for the Crescent City Connection.

The commission now decides if transition funds, which is the toll funds collected over the years, will be used for upkeep of the bridge.

After a majority vote by the commission Tuesday, service at the bridge will continue. The Department of Transportation and Development has been instructed to use $5.2 million of the transition for things like maintenance, grass cutting, landscaping and paying the light bill.

Sweeping on the bridge will be discontinued, and the decorative lights above the bridge will go off as early as this weekend.

Jefferson Parish President John Young referred to a state law that says transitional funds should be used to maintain services.

"That money belongs to the people of this region. They paid tolls and that transition fund was set up by the state legislature for this very purpose," he said.

New Orleans City Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson reluctantly voted in favor of using surplus money to continue services on the bridge. She said the only thing that will sustain the bridge long term is a vote to renew the tolls.

"With fooling the people from now until May that won't pass because they'll think, 'Oh, it's clean, it's lighted. We don't have to vote for tolls.' Let them see what it's really like and let them vote," Clarkson said.

The motion passed by the RPC will maintain the bridge for up to 16 months. DOTD officials said the $5 million in transition funding could last for up to three years.

Young as well as two Jefferson Parish councilmen want to see the state to responsibility for long term upkeep of the bridge.

Councilmen Chris Roberts and Elton Lagasse requested the state legislature cancel the May election where voters will decide if the crescent city connection tolls would be reinstated. They believe the election is a "moot point."